With Horse Name, Coach Parcells Honors Player He'll Never Forget

Racehorses that get named after famous athletes sometimes have trouble living up to the hype.

On the other hand, Tuggle (Point of Entry), a 2-year-old who broke his maiden at first asking at Belmont Park June 21, is named after John Tuggle, a pro football player who was so obscure he was given the nickname “Mr. Irrelevant” when he played one season for the New York Giants in 1983.

Yet Bill Parcells, who was the rookie coach of the Giants during that otherwise humdrum 3-12-1 season, will never forget the charismatic, ultra-confident running back who made the team against long odds after being selected as the very last player in that year's NFL draft, then was diagnosed with a rare form of blood vessel cancer that took his life by age 25.

Even after 36 years, Parcells still gets a twinge of emotion in his voice when he speaks about how motivated and determined John Tuggle was, and how he still resonates as one of the most inspirational players he ever coached.

“He was a brave young man, and I had a very, very high regard for him,” Parcells told TDN in a phone interview after Tuggle's equine namesake wired a MSW off-the-turf sprint last Friday as the 6-5 favorite. “I'm just happy that he continues to get a little recognition.”

Tuggle grew up in San Jose, and in the 1970s he was a multi-sport star in high school. Football was his true passion, and it earned him a full scholarship to California, where he set a record for most passes caught by a running back and was MVP of the 1980 Big Game against Stanford.

A leap to the pros was questionable because Tuggle was borderline for speed and size, yet the Giants took a chance on him anyway, figuring they had nothing to lose with the very last pick in the draft.

The NFL, at the time, was just beginning to make a big deal about the annual “honor” of being drafted last, and Tuggle accepted the Lowsman Trophy—the satirical opposite of the Heisman Trophy—with good humor and vowed to overachieve on the field.

In his very first exhibition game, Tuggle made a spectacular special teams tackle. Parcells called him over to the sideline and told him, “Son, you can play for my team any time.”

That season Tuggle rushed for only 49 yards with one touchdown, but he was named the special teams player of the year for the Giants. Parcells had high expectations for him entering 1984.

Then, as Parcells tells it, “He just got this awful news. He was a young player. Came back for training camp the second year, and he was full of anticipation. It's hard to explain it—we just did our routine physical tests one morning, and he was getting ready to practice. And my team doctor came in and told me 'Tuggle isn't going to be able to practice. He's got a very rare form of cancer.' I couldn't believe it.”

According to a 1986 New York Times article, Tuggle sat in silence for about five minutes, then asked himself, “Well, am I gonna sit around and cry about this or am I gonna take this as day one of beating it?'” Despite undergoing surgeries and chemotherapy, he tried to stay in as best shape as he could to eventually rejoin the team. His teammates couldn't believe what a monster Tuggle remained in the weight room despite the debilitating illness.

Tuggle insisted that his cancer was in remission, but doctors believed otherwise. The Giants kept him under contract so he would not lose his health insurance, but advised him not to report to the 1985 training camp.

Tuggle showed up one day anyway. He asked to see Parcells in his office, and entered clutching a brown paper bag. A bottle of champagne was inside.

“Coach, let's sit down and have a drink,” Tuggle said.

Tuggle then explained how he had come to terms with not being able to play football, and wanted to celebrate his brief career as a pro athlete and thank his coach for taking a gamble on him.

In an ESPN “30 for 30” documentary about Tuggle that was nominated for a sports Emmy Award in 2014, Parcells had tears in his eyes when he recalled that moment.

“This guy's determination and will…those are things just walking around you don't gain an appreciation for that,” Parcells said. “It has to be gained under duress, during times of pain, where we all have to go to those dark places and respond…. He had those attributes you couldn't see. He was an inspiration to me. You always wonder if you'd do what he did, endure all that, and still have this 'Let's have a drink' [attitude]. I don't know the answer to whether I could or not. But he inspired me.”

Tuggle died in his sleep Aug. 30, 1986, while undergoing treatments at a cancer clinic in Mexico. When the Giants won the Super Bowl that year, they honored Tuggle by wearing his number 38 on their helmets.

Parcells, who currently has 13 horses in training under the stable name August Dawn Farm, said he first got the idea to name a Thoroughbred after Tuggle when it was suggested to him by trainer Chad Brown, who had been inspired by the ESPN documentary.

“I bought him at the Saratoga sale [FTSAUG for $160,000] sale from consignor Jim Herbener,” Parcells said. “I had bought a couple of horses from him before, and he just happened to have this Point of Entry colt. I'm pretty good friends with Shug McGaughey, and he of course trained Point of Entry. And his assistant, Robbie Medina, we're pretty close. So I consult with those guys on quite a few things, and that's how we wound up with this horse.”

Parcells said plans are undecided on a next start, but he added it will likely be at Saratoga Race Course. Tuggle's sire, five-time Grade I turf victor Point of Entry, suggests turf prowess, but Parcells said he's leaving the next-race choice up to the colt's trainer, Jeremiah Englehart.

“I'm just glad the horse started off well, to honor Tuggle,” Parcells said.